Zoë Kravitz Spills On Pals Jen & Shailene

Zoë Kravitz Talks About Being Pals With Jen & Shailene

Zoë Kravitz is in a unique position. Her bestie Jennifer also happens to be America's bestie. And, while the world was fawning over JLawr, Zoë was cast in this little franchise called Divergent. Which means that Zoë Kravitz has had the singular experience of watching both Jennifer Lawrence and Shailene Woodley — the two most sought-after actresses in Hollywood — ascend to their respective thrones. If that wasn't enough, you may not realize that Zoë's stepdad, who is married to her style icon of a mother, Lisa Bonet, is none other than Khal Drogo, a.k.a. Jason Momoa, a character who helped popularize this tiny cultural phenomenon called Game Of Thrones.

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Basically, if you want to be part of a zeitgeist, befriend Zoë Kravitz.

Oh, and Miss Kravitz isn't exactly doing half bad herself. She’s not only filming Insurgent, the sequel to Divergent, but she has the mind-blowingly awesome reboot of Mad Max coming out, and still has time to work on her legitimately jammable band LOLAWOLF. (Just check out their single, "Summertime.” Dare you not to put it on a mix tape. Dare you.)

Hey girl! How is your summer going?
"It's good. I’ve been in Atlanta shooting Insurgent, and then, when I have a moment off, I’ve been coming home, and I’m home now and I’m very happy here. It’s interesting, you know, the second time around. There’s a new director, but we're all family now. We went through the whole first thing together. So, it feels comfortable. It’s fun, it’s funny, and it’s nice to see everyone. So, I’m having a great time."

Anything you can tell us about Christina this time around? Is there anything new or different?
"Yeah, I mean you definitely see there are some issues between Tris and Christina. People who read the book know this, so I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone. In the first one, she’s very friendly and open, happy and upbeat. And, I think in this one you see a darker side of her."

When you look at trilogies, the second one is always darkest.
"I was just saying, you always kind of have to set the scene, set the world, especially if it’s a post-apocalyptic milieu [in the first film.] It’s a different world, so you have to show that to the audience. You have to introduce the characters. So, in this one, now that we have a foundation, we’re able to go a bit deeper."

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Photo: REX USA/Stewart Cook.

You might be the only person who has been in a movie with both Shailene and Jen. What strikes you about their ascent via these apocalyptic-action franchises, and how has it been different to watch each of them?
"Well, luckily, they're both very genuine people, so they’re both the same people that I met before. I think that’s what makes people successful, you know? People are attracted to honesty and beauty and all the things these women are. And, they’re talented on top of that. They’re such good actresses, because they’re both just striving to make things honest and true at all times. So, I think that’s why the world’s responded the way it has. It makes me happy to see that the world is recognizing that, and these people deserve it. It’s a beautiful thing to watch.”

Are you still able to hang out with them in a low-key situation, or has the fame become too intoxicating?
"Yeah, me and Shae, we hang out in a very low-key way. I haven’t noticed any kind of difference with her. Jen, a little bit — it’s hard for her to go anywhere. Her life is different. So, there’s a shift there. But, at the heart, it’s all the same. But, yeah, we can’t really walk down the street and go to a random place anymore."

That’s kind of a bummer. Especially for somebody who’s a dyed-in-the-wool New Yorker like you, not being able to just go to a local bar in the Lower East Side.
"Or, just take the subway. I take the subway everywhere; they definitely can’t get on the subway."

You have your own band. Do you spend a couple of months focusing on music and then on acting, or is it something you do simultaneously?
"It’s kind of simultaneous. My band is me and my friends, Jimmy and James. They’ve been coming to where I’ve been shooting, and if I have time, that’s when we record. Which is good, because when I’m shooting I like to get my mind off of it a little bit. I want to stay healthy and focus, so it’s great to be creative, and it’s nice to have my mind taken off of work a little bit. So, yeah, I’ve been doing them together, and it works really well for me."

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When did you first realize that music was a part of your narrative, as well?
"I mean, always. It’s a really big part of my life. Obviously, my dad’s a musician, but my mom also loves music. It’s just an important thing in our family. There’s music being played in the house all the time. It’s always been very present in my life, and I couldn’t imagine living my life without music. It’s a huge, huge part of my connection with other people. I’ve always wanted to do music. It just makes me happy. In the past year, it’s sort of taken off in a really cool way. So, I’m really thankful to be able to do it semi-professionally and just for fun. But, you know, I love that people that listen to it. It's an unexpected perk."

Photo: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

We finally got to see some clips from Mad Max!
"The movie is so cool. I’m so excited. It’s been a very long journey, this film. So, it’s really fun to see some stuff and...my mind was blown when I saw it. The movie is so amazing."

In the photos, Nicholas Hoult looked so different. Do you look as different as he does?
"Yeah, we all look a little different. My hair was really short when I shot that film. But, everyone definitely transformed themselves to accommodate the look of the world, the wasteland."

Was it awesome? How do you think you would do in an apocalyptic wasteland?
"I don’t think I’d do very well! I don’t do well when my air conditioner breaks."

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I appreciate you being honest. I feel like most people want to imagine themselves doing really well.
"Yeah, and I’d like to imagine myself doing well in the wasteland. There’s a part of me, where I would kind of go into warrior mode. But, I know that I live a really comfortable life. I can't imagine if the stakes were that high, and I wouldn’t know where my next meal was coming from, and people were trying to kill me, with everyone fighting for food. I don’t know how I would do."

Photo: REX USA/Erik Pendzich.

Is there anything you're binge-watching? And, I wanted to know if you watch Game Of Thrones?
"I’ve seen a few episodes. Until I saw my stepdad (Jason Momoa, who played Khal Drogo), like, raping and beheading people, so I stopped. And, I’m watching Orange Is The New Black and I’m totally into it."

That’s good binge-watching.
"It’s a really funny show, but there’s some really beautiful performances, I have to say. Like, it’s so refreshing to see women given material where they can really use their power and talent. It’s really, really awesome."